| (19) |
 |
|
(11) |
EP 0 180 820 A3 |
| (12) |
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
| (88) |
Date of publication A3: |
|
13.08.1986 Bulletin 1986/33 |
| (43) |
Date of publication A2: |
|
14.05.1986 Bulletin 1986/20 |
| (22) |
Date of filing: 15.10.1985 |
|
|
| (84) |
Designated Contracting States: |
|
BE CH DE FR GB IT LI NL SE |
| (30) |
Priority: |
08.11.1984 US 669497
|
| (71) |
Applicant: AMERICAN CYANAMID COMPANY |
|
() |
|
| (72) |
Inventors: |
|
- Burbank, John Emerson, III
()
- Montgomery, John R.
()
|
|
| |
|
| (54) |
Surgical closure element |
(57) An improved surgical instrument cartridge is described. The cartridge comprises a
plurality of wound closure elements. Each element has a crown and two opposite side
legs. The distal end of each leg of a wound closure element contacts the crown of
the adjacent preceding element. The improvement comprises the legs of each element
being self-aligning, relative to the adjacent preceding element. A surgical staple
is a preferred wound closure element.